Jean-Luc Loves Fish

Jean-Luc came from a family of fisherman, so it was natural that he should have a love of fish. It's just that his love of fish was, well, a little different. Fish were all he thought or dreamed about. Friends would try to talk to him about football or drinking, but he always found an opportunity to bring up the subject of fish.  When he was twenty, Jean-Luc proposed to his girlfriend, Marie-Claire, by presenting her with a basket of fish, the ultimate romantic gesture.

She said, "This is my engagement ring-a fish? I don't think so."

Finally, Jean-Luc found a girl who loved him despite his fish fetish. Margaux had never had enough to eat as a child and reasoned that at least you could eat a fish, whereas a ring was not really useful in any way.

They enjoyed a courtship of fishing and other romantic pursuits.

Finally, it was time to raise a family, and Jean-Paul was born.

(continued tomorrow)

General Electric Fan Advertisement Postcard

This is a wonderful advertisement postcard that seems to show a GE fan powering a Dutch windmill. The back of the card also shows a fan.

Streetcar Sunday - Manila, Phillipines

Manila had a strong start with trams in the American colonial period. The first electric lines were opened in 1905. By 1924, 170 cars were in operation, providing good service for a city of 220,000.  World War II left much of the City of Manila in ruins and destroyed the streetcar system. There was no saving it.

In the years following the war, as the city was reconstructed and traffic from automobiles and buses created traffic problems, there was a renewed interest in rail transportation, resulting in a limited monorail system in the 1960s. Since the 1980s, Manila has slowly been developing a light-rail system. There are currently three lines, with two more planned.